Rozi Wreck – Cirkewwa, Malta

The Rozi was a tug boat that was scuttled in 1992 as an underwater attraction for tourists on submarine tours. The submarine trips no longer operate, but this wonderful little tug boat continues to sit perfectly upright on a sandy bottom within a rocky amphitheatre. The ship is now well colonized and all areas of the superstructure and bridge work are accessible to divers. Bear in mind though that this is a deepish wreck and not for novice divers.The deck and rails support a healthy growth of sea firs and hydroids, so the wreck is becoming a magnet for lots of colourful nudibranchs. Well worth taking the camera in to do some macro photography, but equally scenic for wreck shots too. A black and white image of the wreck won a local Maltese photographer an international prize in 2012!

Surrounding the ship are thousands of fish, with chromis, bream and sand smelt predominating. You will also see amberjack (Seriola dumerili) and bonito (Sarda sarda), which ‘buzz’ the shoals of small fish. The flat sandy seabed around the wreck is covered in huge anemones (Condylactis auratica).

The Rozi Route

As you leave the wreck and swim back towards the shore, you can see a large anchor partially embedded in the sand. Continue past this to the sloping wall and you will find the first of a few small tunnels which lead eventually around to the Marfa Point entry. The reef at the end of the dive provides a great spot to explore while spending time doing a safety stop, or if diving from the St Andrew’s Divers Cove boat, you can use the anchor line.

Gozo Diving – Location:

Approximately 120m directly out from the old steel jetty (now destroyed by the sea) on a bearing of 280° magnetic.

Gozo Diving – Access:

You can jump into the water next to the old steel pier and swim out on the surface but we prefer to jump from one of our boats as it make the trip from Gozo much easier!

Gozo Diving – Conditions:

Fairly sheltered from the northeast winds, but can be choppy with strong current.